| Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
grew up in Berlin, Germany within the confine of a wealthy Jewish family
from which he received every possible encouragement in the development
of his musical talent. He was a devout fan of Bach
and Handel and spent many opportunities to conduct cantatas and oratorios
written by both composers. In 1835, Mendelssohn settled in Leipzig,
where he conducted the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Starting from 1840,
the king of Prussia hired him as a conductor and a composer.
Among Mendelssohn's best known works were the
music for Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, five symphonies,
tone poems, and Violin Concerto in E-minor. His chamber works
include six string quartets, sacred choral music, and oratorios such as
Elijah and St. Paul.
Mendelssohn wrote during the period which
chamber music was overshadowed by solo and orchestral genres. One
may classify him as a "romantic classic," or a classic composer who lived
in the Romantic Age. For instance, his first movement of the Trio
in D-minor, Op. 49 features the classic sonata form, but, similar to
the typical romantic composition, emphasizes greatly on the elaborate use
of the piano and memorable melodies. And although he seemed to have
surpassed Mozart
by the age of seventeen, he never exceeded Mozart's miraculous achievement
as a composer.
 
|
